the casualties of valentine's day ...

....tears, tissues and tragedy


It is a few days to the beginning of the second month of the year and the once carefree Muslimah that was happy being unattached now sulks around, downturned face as none of her male mxit contacts have claimed undying love for her yet and the clock was ticking faster to the day of celebration. On the other side of the screen, the innocent looking Muslim boy spurts sweet nothing to every other female in hope of having one or maybe a few to call “His One” for that day.

Taking a step outside, one would feel as if they have adorned rose tinted glasses as the world looks as if it has been repainted in a blood red hue. Every tree seems to be blossoming plastic hearts, and tacky gifts seem to be more precious than jewels. One would not be wrong to assume that Cupid has struck the entire world with his arrow, from all the love struck couples that seem to surface at this period.

The commercial world which is always ahead of the mood of the consumer, add to the atmosphere with their romantic gifts, cards with lines that would make Shakespeare look like nursery rhymes and roses the price of an entire garden.

Looking through the chronicles of history one sees pages dedicated to the lovers of bygone days. Flipping open ones sees the legend of Romeo and Juliet’s two day love story, a few pages down and the tale of the unattainable love of Layla and Majnu is remembered. Flipping a few pages, one is reminded of the love story of Tristan and Isoldey and Anthony and Cleopatra and further on the romance of Pyramus and Thisbe is retold. As the book reaches an end, last but far from the least the love of Salim and Anarkali who was entombed alive is repeated. Saint Valentine the Christian priest who died for Love is honoured just as he is on this day. Each tale of love seems to hold a central of tragedy and a loss of love before it is even enjoyed.

We look for the definition of love in stories of couples who died before they could enjoy their love, of couples who went mad in the drug of love, ate of forbidden fruit and fell to their death and in fairytale that do not go beyond a feeble happily ever after.

To steal a line from the Brothers of Native Deen: “ We look for love in places dark and cold, when we have a guiding light for the whole world to be hold”.

We have a fairytale to be in awe off; the most romantic love story to share with all; a celebrity couple to use as role model; a match made not by man but by the Creator and the epitome of love; the love of our Prophet and his wife Khadija (May peace be upon them).

Today’s love is so fleeting that many do not have go deeper than the paper they were printed on and last no further than the next message.

Let us take a journey to the month of March and note the wilted flowers strewn on the floor as the once jubilant girl fervently chants, “he loves me, he loves me not”. Hear the regret on the lips on the lad who wasted his allowance all in hope to woo the girl who was never going to be his. Watch the girl franticly exercising off the chocolate induced weight, the only evidence of the love that has now been long forgotten. Get your glue ready to patch those broken hearts.

till the glue dries
i bid thee farewell

a long overdue ramble is due ...

after a crazy year of final exams, an evolution of myself,a metamorphis of my scribbling, lots of firsts and lasts, goodbyes and hellos to many intersting pepole, new charactes adding to my theatre of life and some walking out, others being snatched away and some just blending in with the surrounding, 2010 finally arrived.

No fireworks for my celebration, no drunken cheers but a candlelight vigil for peace in the land of the Pharoahs watched over like a misbehaving kid by police and surrounded my strangers who in that week became freinds in our common bond was how I welcomed in the year of magic, 2010.

Africa's year, My year and Your Year! the year every dream is said to come true, the year we get to showcase ourselves and the year of endless possibility!

returning from the city of dust, crazy taxies, sheesha, pharoahs and police took me many weeks to touchdown to reality and get back to the routine of life.

Check www.footsteps4gaza.blogspot.com to get a peek into the Cairo Chronicles, pictures and my ramblings to follow ..

Scribblings of 09 ...

Pink The ColoUr Of SolidarIty ...

If you happen to walk into AL Falaah College in Durban, on the 28th of November you would have been greeted by a cheery sight of little Muslimahs all donned in different shades of pink hijab and their feet in the cutest pink pumps, and young boys with a colourful array of toppies. Walking around your town you would have been sure to catch sight of many Muslimah’s looking very bright. While around the globe saw hundreds of Muslimah’s shed their normal hue scarf for the bright cheery pink colour.

This is not some new hijab fad or a ritual for the welcoming in, off the colourful season, but the participation of women in an initiative called Global Pink Hijab day. If you have not heard of this day, where have you been as October was Breast Cancer Awareness month. Our Muslim sisters decided to join hijab’s in support of this campaign.

Pink Hijab Day began with a small group of high school girls in the small town of Columbia, Missouri, and the event now has thousands of participates all over the world.
The event takes place the last Wednesday of every October. Participants in Pink Hijab Day encourage the curious to ask questions about hijab, as well as promote breast cancer education, and donate to various Breast Cancer Foundations.

”Pink Hijab Day is intended to shatter stereotypes of Muslim women, as well as raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research”, the Muslim Professional Network (MPN) stated. Muslim women, as well as their counterparts of other faiths across America, Egypt, Botswana, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Trinidad, UK and South Africa observed “Global Pink Hijab Day” by donning pink headscarves. “The MPN in partnership with ABSA Islamic Banking promoted the Day within the corporate sector... by handed out pink scarves in workplaces.”

Al Falaah College was one of the schools which brought this initiative to their classrooms for the second consecutive year, as the school felt they wanted to “inspire learners into doing their bit for the awareness of cancer”. A creative way of teaching by implementation added enough practicality with fun to make the day a phenomenal success. “Learners were asked to donate monies to participate in this campaign, and the proceeds were donated to an organisation which strives in the fight of cancer”, educator Rehana Sayed shared during our chat.

It was just not the learners who got involved in the day, the educators were not left behind, dressed in the pink inspired hijab , educators were treated to “high tea” were a female gynaecologist addressed them on the importance of breast self examination as well as illustrated the procedure that should be done every month.
Educators also had a chance to chat to her on different issues one on one.

Using creativity learners paired together to form a pink ribbon, a highlight of the day for many. This initiative “Brings Currents Issues into the "classroom” and is vitally important as it keeps our youth educated, informed and "in tuned" with the world around them. Using imaginative ways to do this ensures that the "current issues” are not easily forgotten but remembered through the initiatives taken.” This event would surely not be forgotten easily as creativity was one of the key elements in this campaign.

Global Pink Hijab day was intended to initiate dialogue, promote education about the Islamic headscarf and most importantly raise breast cancer awareness.





(PubLished in Inews 09)

Togeather In PinkNess :)

Whats in a name ?

a name is just few alphabets arranged together, a simple collection of a few different syllables and a noun that people refer to you as. Therefore does it really have any effect on ones personality or shapes one future, Is it like a secret path written for you to follow pre determined by the name that's chosen fro you.

Some might agree, while others might regard it as "old-wives" tales. Personally i was a little sceptical of the while notion, til i read the meaning of my name. If felt as if on that day when my maternal grandfather walked through the hallways, searching for a name for me , the then nameless baby, he was given divine inspiration.

Hasina- three simple syllables and a combination of Ha, seen and noon. a name of Arabic origin meaning beautiful.

This definition of me , was like a character sketch of who I am, each trait of my personality weaved together, like threads in the blanket of my existence, every description a hue in the painting of my portrait and every letter a melody in the song of my soul.

The charm of a coffeeshop

One place you can always feel at home among strangers is a coffee shop. Pondering over a lone cuppa coffee nobody gives you sympathetic glances at your single presence. Recluse is not the first thought that pops into mind, when you spot a soul chaired quite alone at a coffee shop One place where two people can share a table but not thoughts each engrossed in different things sitting across each other.


A place of meeting, a venue for indulging, the setting for pondering, the scene for romancing and the zone for contemplation ...this is the true definition of a coffee shop.

For the hang out place for that Friday evening, pre-weekend planning session, to the Saturday secluded venue to serenade that pretty lass, it is the idyllic getaway for a Sunday morning brunch, a Monday business meeting can be held ideally in this environment, weekly mid week chit chat with the gals are held in this location, while this spot meets the standards for that mother- daughter monthly outing,it is the perfect zone for that cramming student to revise in these settings,stopover spot for a recharge between a shopping spree and not forgetting the hide-away for that much needed me-time! Where is this versatile scene ..a coffee shop of course :)

a step into destiny ---> essay on an incident that changed my life

Times change ... but memories stay eternal ...

An incident that changes one’s life can be something as earth shattering as moving a continent or as insignificant as a little gift. For me life made a 360 degree turn on a sunny Saturday afternoon, when my mum decided that it’s time for me to get my first pair of heels. She was all excited at the prospect of her little girl metamorphosing into a woman. I couldn’t understand what all the hype was about; it was after all just a pair of shoes. How much difference could it really make? Little did I know about this contraption that held so much of power.

We reached my mum’s favourite boutique, and were helped by the owner’s son, a fairly average looking young guy. I browsed around and was a little spectacle to try on any of the shoes as I have only ever worn pumps and sneakers. Finally after a little coaxing from my mum, I chose a wedge heel to try on.

The first time I slipped my feet into the high sky scraping black leather and cream wedges, I felt like a colt than stood up for the first time, my knees buckled and I wobbled a little as I took my first tentative step. I staggered like a drunk on a night out and almost gave up trying to manoeuvre with these tottering heels, but one glimpse in the mirror and I changed my mind. The added height made my slightly plump body look curvy, and with each step I took, even tentatively, my body swayed a little as if walking to a beat only I could hear.

From my new vantage point, the world look so much different, my mum who always seemed way taller than me, now stood barely a head over me. The young boy, who I barely glanced at when I entered, now seemed more interesting to me. As I glanced in the mirror, I twirled in the mirror, totally fascinated by the transformation.
I pranced around the shop, slowly gaining confidence with each step, sashaying across as if I was walking the catwalk. My mum was so thrilled that I seemed to be a natural in the heels. As she paid for the shoes, I kept my new heels, deciding to spend the rest of the day practising my new walk.

It changed my life forever those seemingly insignificant pair of shoes. From a shy introverted, hiding in the shadows girl I bloomed into a graceful swan. The added height injected newfound confidence and energy; I had never known I had within.
Gone were the tomboyish girl and sneaker days. From my trainee heels I soon upgraded to spiky stiletto, gracefully traipsing hallways, pathways and even pavements with style and confidence.

Never underestimate the power of small things that can change your life. Do not turn down a new challenge and open yourself to experiences for it just might be your fairytale waiting to happen.

“A shoe can change one’s life, just look at Cinderella!”

a song that brings your memory to life ...

Where there�s a right, there is no wrong
I always thought we were so strong
But our time just flew right by
There wasn�t a chance to say goodbye
I�m so confused, I feel so alone
Deep in my heart I know Allah has called you home�home

But yet, your smile, still lingers in my mind
And yet, it�s so hard, I just break down and cry
I remember your eyes found a way to melt my heart
Most of all I remember, I remember your smile
Most of all, I remember, I remember your smile
[ www.thenasheedlyrics.com ]

Sometimes I lie awake at night
The pain in my heart I just can�t fight
Why did you have to go away?
Yet I know none of us can stay
You�ll always be, so special to me
In this world you�ll always live as a memory

Words and Melody by Zain Bhikha